Colorado Springs News, Sports & Business

Councilman's plea to repeal resolution rejected

A Colorado Springs councilman failed Monday to convince his colleagues to repeal a resolution supporting a group working to defeat Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.
Councilman Sean Paige, who opposes the ballot measures, said Coloradans For Responsible Reform has been running...

A Colorado Springs councilman failed Monday to convince his colleagues to repeal a resolution supporting a group working to defeat Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.

Councilman Sean Paige, who opposes the ballot measures, said Coloradans For Responsible Reform has been running deceptive and dishonest TV ads.

In one ad, for example, the group claims the measures “will trigger a voter-approved recession,” a highly criticized claim that a local TV station reported was based on supposition and opinion.

“I think (the resolution) illustrates some of the potential pitfalls of city councils making what I regard as political statements and especially hitching our wagon to an unaccountable campaign committee out there that’s running ads that we have no input into,” Paige said.

Councilwoman Jan Martin, who sponsored the resolution, said she wouldn’t withdraw her support. “Sean, I would like you to point me to a campaign that’s being run this fall that doesn’t have some questions about it,” she said.

“I don’t know anybody who is enjoying sitting through watching the commercials from all sides, all political parties, all issues, that are being forced at us right now,” Martin added. “However, in order to compete, it seems like everybody has to participate in such a manner.”

Paige’s request to repeal the resolution garnered the support only of Councilman Darryl Glenn, who voted against the resolution along with Paige and Councilman Tom Gallagher when it went before council a month ago. Glenn reiterated his opposition: The resolution had not been properly noticed on the agenda.

Two weeks ago, Glenn voted in favor of a second council resolution opposing the measures that specifically stated how they would affect Colorado Springs.

Before Monday’s council meeting, anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce, who has tried to distance himself from the three measures, tried to get in touch with Paige. “If you have his cell number, I’d appreciate it if you would let me have it so I can … give him some ammo about just why the opposition TV ads, for example, are utterly preposterous,” Bruce said in a voice mail to The Gazette.

“It just violates basic economics to say that lowering taxes and putting more money in the economy and giving people more money to spend is going to cause a recession. That makes no sense.”